Monthly Archives: March 2011

I don’t normally do ‘fiddly’ but now and then it’s fun.  I was inspired by a recipe I saw in a book dedicated to spinach but didn’t have half the ingredients with me at the time — and so came … Continue reading →

“Non fare il baccalà” is an Italian way of telling someone, “Don’t be silly/stupid” — and I really don’t know why baccalà, aka salt cod, should be associated with lack of intelligence.  But I do know that I love it … Continue reading →

I needed some fried polenta as a garnish for a dish that also requires spinach and cod quenelles.  I shall ‘assemble’ this recipe, so to speak, in three stages starting, now, with the polenta. Polenta may not be very ‘exciting’ on its … Continue reading →

A few years ago, I came across an enquiry in the Gambero Rosso magazine about food trends in London and one whole article was dedicated to a Pub run by the ‘pasionaria’, as they called her, Geetie Singh.  Her pub was the first organic … Continue reading →

I had a wisdom tooth extracted not so long ago and so, as soon as I was able to eat ‘solids’ again, I opted for a risotto for lunch.  It happened to be a risotto made with sausage and pumpkin … Continue reading →

I feel like the biblical David taking on Goliath … and the giant in question goes by the name of … Heston Blumenthal.  Katie Parla who gastronomically writes as an expert not just on her own but also on the … Continue reading →

When I was growing up, dinner was nearly always about meat and two vegetables.  Even when one went out to a restaurant (we’re talking the early seventies here), there would be an hors d’hoeuvre or starter followed by meat and two vegetables.  … Continue reading →

Bechamel.  Bechamel is the queen of all sauces. Ordinary home cooks and TV celebrity cooks who get all snotty about bechamel and pretend it’s something that used to be trendy and indispensable ONLY in the past … are very silly.  … Continue reading →

At a restaurant not far from home last night, I was surprised to be served a dish made up of polenta accompanied by a tomato sauce and tuna – most unusual and very good too. Upon closer inspection, it transpired … Continue reading →

This post is all about actually cooking carciofi (as opposed to cleaning and trimming them) in a very basic way … FINAL TOUCHES Line the bottom of the saucepan with olive oil, about half an inch thick. All four carciofi are nice … Continue reading →